Toric fluid displacement chamber and packing therefor



Nov. 3, 1953 E. c. MYERS ,657,538

TORIC FLUID DISPLACEMENT CHAMBER AND PACKING THEREFOR Filed Dec. 5, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 3, 1953 c, MYERS v 2,657,538

TORIC FLUID DISPLACEMENT CHAMBER AND PACKING THEREFOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 5, 1945 E. C. MYERS Nov. 3, 1953 TORIC FLUID DISPLACEMENT CHAMBER AND PACKING THEREFOR Filed Dec. 5, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 1 INVENTOR. 54ml a 417 ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 3, 1953 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE TORIC FLUID DISPLACEMENT CHAMBER AND PACKING THEREFOR Edward C. Myers, Wilmette, Ill.

Application December 5, 1945, Serial No. 632,941

3 Claims.

tor, the rudder of a boat, airplane, or the like,

and in the past this has been done with a power cylinder connected to the element to be turned by means of gearing, levers, etc., which develop lost motion and other defects after a period of use. It has been desirable in order to simplify such devices and avoid the above defects, to provide a curved "cylinder which could propel a piston in a path such that it could be solidly connected to the stem or post to be controlled, without the interposition of gearing, jointed links or other parts subject to wear or failure. However, the construction of such a cylinder and piston and transmitting the motion from the piston to the element to be controlled presented difficulties which appeared, as a practical matter to be insurmountable.

Accordingly a further object is to provide a construction of curved displacement chamber which can be readily manufactured, which can be readily assembled and installed, and which will actuate a piston having a direct connectionwith the element to be controlled.

A further object is to provide a piston and connection for use with such a cylinder.

A further object is to provide an improved cylinder and piston therefor which will prevent substantially all fluid leakage past the piston. Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings in which satisfactory embodiments of the invention are shown, but it is to be. understood that the invention is not to be taken as limited to the precise embodiments disclosed, or in fact in any manner except as herein set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view on a larger scale of a portion of a similar device showing a modified construction.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an axial sectional view of a portion of a modified cylinder construction. I

above mentioned extension [8.

Turning to Fig. l, the device is shown applied to a pilot truck of a tractor, having a forward projection H3 in which is journaled a stem, post,

shank, or the like ll, substantially vertical in position, and which must be oscillated from side to side in steering the tractor. It will be understood that member ll might be, within the contemplation of the invention, the rudder post of a boat or ship, or a control element in an aircraft. Other uses will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

Post II in the present instance is connected to a fork I 2, supported by a front wheel [3, the construction being typical of a well-known type of farm tractor. For oscillating post H a piston generally designated as M is slidably arranged in a fluid-tight manner in a curved tubular displacement chamber l5 which is anchored by means of bolts l6 and 1 to pads Band IS on Tube l5 has ears 20 and 2|. Tube l5 corresponds to the usual cylinder in a common type of hydraulic or fluid actuating device and might be characterized as a curved cylinder although of course it is understood that a cylinder cannot be curved in the present sense and still be a cylinder. However it has long been desirable to apply such a curved cylinder to .numerous purposes, but the difiiculthe ends apart'in an up and down direction respectively as seen in Fig. 1, it may be run through tube l5, the ends 24 and 25 then being clamped together in any suitable clamping device 26. Clamping device 2-6 is fixed to or part of an arm 2'! projecting in this case forwardly from post i I.

A cylinder head generally designated as 28 is fixed to one end of tube I5 and a similar cylinder head 29 is fixed to the opposite end of tube l5. A pressure fluid fitting 39 is introduced into tube l5 adjacent head 28 and a similar fitting 3| is introduced adjacent head 29. It will now be apparent that introduction of pressure fluid through fitting 30 will drive piston M to the right as seen in Fig. l and turn wheel I3 toward the left, fluid on the right hand side of piston l4 being exhausted through fitting 3 I. Introduction of fluid through fitting 3| will cause turning of wheel l3 in the opposite direction as will be apparent. It will be clear that no pivots, gearing, or other joints subject to wear are present in the connections between piston l4 and post ll.

Fluid may be supplied and withdrawn from flttings 30 and 31 by means of a displacement unit such as fully described and claimed in the copending application of Edward CrMyers, Serial Number 415,191, filed October 16, 1941, now Patent No. 2,394,252.

The resulting displacement chamber is in the form of a segment of a torus and will be hereinafter referred to as a toric segment.

Returning to a more detailed description of the apparatus, piston I4 comprises a fitting 32 having a flange 33 and on which is slidable a washer or ring 34. Ring 34 is urged toward flange 33 by screws 35-35. Between flange 33 and ring 34 is clamped a packing ring 36 of suitable material which fits the bore of tube in a fluidtight manner. It 'is contemplated that packing 36 may be of synthetic rubber-like material which. will follow any minor irregularities in tube 55, the fluid pressure forcing the packing against the tube wall in well-known manner.

Head 28 comprises in the present instance a cap-like element 31 which is threadedly connected with tube 15 and has a ring 38 clamped by screws 3939 against a packing 43 which embraces rod 22 in a fluid-tight manner.

Clamp 26 has a cap portion 4| secured thereto by bolts 42 and 43. Arm 21 is fixedly connected to post H by means of a key 44. Movement of piston 14 will accordingly cause rotation of rod or ring 22 and consequent turning of arm 21 and post H. Post I! is journaled in any suitable or well-known manner in a bearing portion #35 of above mentioned portion 10.

A modification of the arrangement is shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. In this embodiment an outer shell 46 is composed of upper and lower portions 41 and 48, respectively, each comprising or enclosing substantially one half of the desired toric segment. Portions 41 and 4B are clamped together by bolts 49-49 engaged in ears 55-59 spaced at suitable intervals along the edges of the portions 41 and 48. Portions 41 and 48 support within and between them a one-piece lining 5| which in the present instance is preferably made of a plastic substance which sets or dries With a smooth hard surface suitable for cooperation with a piston such as above described piston 14. Examples of such a plastic substance are known and form no part of the present invention. By supporting the liner in the portions 41. and 48 it is given ample strength, and since it is suitably hard and smooth, sections 41 and 48 need not be accurately machined, but may be left rough, the plastic material providing the smooth surface for the piston. In this way a difiicult machining problem is eliminated.

"Itis to be noted that light gauge tubing of certain metals, for example copper, can be formed into curves of the radius desired without such distortion as to impair the usual smooth inner surface thereof. Such tubing, however, would in some circumstances be too light or weak to serve as a combination displacement chamber and bracket. However, such a tube bent to the desired radius and enclosed vin the comparatively rough outer toric segment composed of portions 41 and 48, in similar manner to plastic liner 5! will work satisfactorily with a piston and will be protected from damage by the outer shell. Also the heavy outer shell or casing increases the fluid pressure resisting capacity of the thin 4 liner tube and makes it strong enough to withstand the internal pressure.

Accordingly, it is within the contemplation of the invention to use the shell comprising portions 41 and 48 to enclose a bent metallic tube or liner forming a working surface for a piston such as L j ""w .2. 3" r Slight unavoidable variation occurs in the location of the post II and projection ID in tractors, and in the related parts in other vehicles or devices with which the present invention wouldbe-used and to allow for this and avoid unnecessary care in aligning and mounting the device, she11'46 is preferably formed with an annular rib or boss 52 having a convex outer configuration enclosed in a socket-like fitting generally'designated as 53 composed of upper and lower separable sections 54 and 55 within which boss 52 is rotatable but not otherwise movable. Fitting. 53 has an attachingsurface 55 which-is fastened in suitable or well-known manner-to an appropriate part of the tractor or other vehicle. Portion 54 has an ear 51provided with an opening 58 for the reception of a bolt or screw for so fastening fitting 53, while-portion 55-has a similar or suitable, ear 59 providing an opening 60 for a similar purpose. Portions 54 and 55 are united by bolts (T61 extending through appropriate bosses 62 and..63 on. portion 55 and similar bosses on portion 54., Portions 54 and 55. are also provided with -ears .64 andv 65, respectively through which extends a :bolt 66. Bolts 6l6| and ,66 maintain fitting 53 solidly together about boss 52, cylinder or chamber. being thereby maintainedflrmly. in place on the vehicle, but freeto shiftslightly if required by slight variations in manufacture I Other means are contemplated for. lining a cylinder or other displacement chamber, in Fig. 5 an outer shell 61 of metal or. other suitable material forms the stress-bearing portion of the structure and has a head generally designated as 68 which may conveniently be identical or similar to above described head 28. A fluid supply pipe 69 leads into shell 61 in the present instance through a fitting 10, of suitable or wellknown form. In this arrangement an inner liner 1| is provided formed of yieldable. flexible material, for example any of the well-known synthetic rubber-like materials. which are resilient and tenacious and not affected by oil. Natural rubber may be used if the fluid contemplated is of a character which will not damage it.

Liner 11 is preferably'bonded to the metal shell 61 in well-known manner so as to.be immovably maintained in place in .the displacement chamber.

With this liner 0. piston 12 is used which'com prises a disk-like portion 13 mounted on a piston rod 14 as between a flange 15 of a bushing 18 and a nut 11 threaded on bushing 16. Portion 13 has at its outer-periphery outwardly directed knife edges'18 and 1'9,- which are continuous about the circumference of the piston and which cooperate with the liner to' seal'or pack the piston against leakage of fluid from one side to the other thereof? Piston 12 isof a size slightly greater than the interior ofliner 1| so as to press into the yielding surfacethereof to a predetermined extent,'as' cle'arlyj indi cated in Fig. 5. Knife edgesj18 and'lfl 'operate to scrap the surface of the liner substantially perfectly clean of fluid as, t piston asses back ahdfoithf so asf' bviate substan'tially all leakage of fluid rrom or'ie t6 the "other side of a fluid-tight seal between a liner and piston,

and also that of providing a suitably smooth bore in a toric segmental displacement chamber without the necessity of accurate machining of the interior of such chamber.

The operation of the invention is thought to be apparent from the above description, sufiicient to say, the supply of pressure'fluid to one side of piston I4 and withdrawal thereof from the other results in movement of the piston in an arcuate or curved path corresponding to the shape of chamber or cylinder l5, which motion is transmitted by circular piston rod 22 to arm 21. Swinging of arm 21 turns post II and causes steering movement of fork l2 and wheel l3. Post ll might equally well be the rudder post of a water or air craft, or other control element or the like within the contemplation of the invention.

The above being a complete description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a displacement device the combination of a displacement chamber having a plastic rubber-like inner surface providing a smooth inner bore, a rigid displacing element movable in said chamber so as to displace fluid therein, and said element being larger than said bore so as to press into said rubber like surface, and having a sharp knife-edge in position to exert gentle pressure against said plastic rubber like surface in fluid-scraping relation thereto.

2. In an annular toric displacement chamher a plurality of curved channel portions arranged to be placed together to form an annular toric passageway, means for uniting said portions to form a curved tubular passageway, and a tubular integral lining unit of plastic rubber-like material providing a smooth inner bore, a rigid displacement producing element movable in said chamber so as to displace fluid therein, and said element being larger than said bore so as to press into said plastic material, and having a sharp knife-edge in position to exert gentle pressure against said plastic surface in fluid-scraping relation thereto, said lining unit forming a smooth jointless interior surface for said passageway.

3. In a displacement device a plurality of portions arranged to be placed together to form a tubular passageway including an integral tubular lining unit of plastic rubber-like material providing a smooth inner bore, a rigid displacement producing element movable in said chamber so as to displace fluid therein, and said element being larger than said bore so as to press into said plastic material, and having a sharp knife-edge in position to exert gentle pressure against said plastic surface in fluid-scraping relation thereto, said lining unit forming a smooth jointless interior surface for said passageway.

EDWARD C. MYERS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 299,161 Peppard May 27, 1884 458,458 Hinrichs et al Aug. 25, 1891 1,024,098 Price Apr. 23, 1912 1,108,952 Wales Sept. 1, 1914 1,361,471 Kozub Dec. 7, 1920 1,621,858 Sherwood Mar. 22, 1927 1,917,180 Zwick July 4, 1933 2,259,432 Failing Oct. 14, 1941 2,389,654 Werfi Nov. 27, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 528,463 France Aug. 17, 1921 485,545 Germany Nov. 1, 1929 

